Are Your Project Managers Problem Solvers?

It does not matter how good your planning is or how well you’ve put your project plan together, there will always be unforeseen circumstances that need to be resolved!

The problem-solving process is normally started when any of the following situations arise:

• You have many issues currently and you do not know where to start, or
• You have one ill-defined and/or performance issue and you do not know where to start, or
• You have a technical deviation from standard and you need to find the cause of that deviation before you can make any progress, or
• You need to find a solution for a project situation and you do not know what to do, or
• You need to make a choice between at least two options and you do not know which one would best, or
• You are faced with a potential risk and you do not know for sure how to mitigate it successfully.

The aim is to use a problem-solving process that provides you and your team with appropriate templates and tools to collectively, and if needed, virtually solve some problems together. Good problem-solving practices have the following characteristics:

1. Include the information sources closest to the problem being experienced. It is not about the “best brains” but rather a case of the “most appropriate” brains.
2. Information generated is made visible and recorded to help the team to arrive at a commonly supported answer.
3. Inputs through collaboration are actively promoted.
4. Ideally, an objective facilitator is used to manage the problem-solving process and its inputs.
5. The aim and objective are to reach consensus on all aspects to foster buy-in and commitment for implementation.

Project Management should not be a jail sentence. If handled correctly with the correct training, excellent project management is one of the few ways to prove yourself and gain recognition in the organization.

Summary

One concept comes to the forefront when thinking about the successful management of projects and that is “common sense.” No one project is the same as the next one and therefore it is important to remember that there are many other skills that could be utilized to run projects effectively.